Changes in Intracerebral Network Activities Activity According to the Difference in Assignment Difficulty - Elucidation of Efficient Learning Environments

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01527
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Aino University
• Principal Investigator: sakai hiroshi 藍野大学, 医療保健学部, 教授 (30362388)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 認知症 / 脳イメージング / リハビリテーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we conducted a series of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examination subjecting healthy young, and middle-aged/elder adults to investigate the correlation between fluctuations in assignment difficulty and the activation level of intracerebral network activity. We used Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) and Paced Visual Serial Addition Task (PVSAT) for the loading assignment and used silent reading of numbers as the control assignment. The results of the group analysis using SPM and the conjunction analysis showed evident difficulty level-associated fluctuation in the central executive network (CEN) and default mode network (DMN) in PVSAT results of young group, while middle-aged/elder group did not show apparent difficulty level-associated fluctuation in DMN. Specifically, the frequency of the on-off activity in DMN showed evident decreasing trend in the latter age group, suggesting that DMN should be more affected by aging than CEN.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学・福祉工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々は，認知症変化を予防するため，どのような課題をどのような方法で行えば効率よく脳内学習ネットワークが働くのかについて，聴覚および視覚性暗算課題との関係を検討した。今回の研究においてはPVSATにおいて，若年健常群ではCENおよびDMNに難易度依存性変化を認めたが，中高年健常群については， DMNが難易度依存的に十分減弱しない傾向が伺えた。このようにDMNのON－OFF切り替えが不十分となる傾向が伺え，DMNはCENよりも加齢変化の影響を受けやすいものと考えられた。課題実施時にDMNの賦活が減弱しないことは学習ネットワークの効率性に悪影響を及ぼすのではないかと予測された。